Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie, Vol. 2

可愛いだけじゃない式守さん [Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san] #2

by Keigo Maki

Izumi has been jinxed his whole life -- if something can go wrong... he'll probably wind up in the hospital. But he still thinks he's the luckiest guy in the world! That's because Izumi has a girlfriend who is smart, sporty, and always looking out for him. Shikimori is his knight in shining armor. In this heartwarming romantic comedy, rain or shine, underdog or hero, their gentle affection stays the same.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Slice Of Life, Shonen, Contemporary, Manga Romance, Comedy

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2019

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

After being bored stiff by the first volume, I allowed myself to be convinced to pick up volume two roughly a century later...and yes, this series does get better! The kitten (love how it's drawn) is a major plus, but the characters are also growing into themselves and their relationships, and that's very charming. I don't love the mom, but this is such an improvement on volume one that I'm willing to let it slide and see what more this series has in store.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little black kitten is cute. I can really, really do without Izumi's mom having a girl crush on Shikimori.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shikimori gets on the good side of her future in-laws, while imparting a valuable lesson. Her sudden popularity spike after sports day leaves Izumi off by his lonesome, but there’s nothing these two can’t overcome, including bowling and… girls’ night!?

I kept hearing that this series got better, so despite my very tepid reaction to the first volume, which was so syrupy it felt like eating Tang straight from the packet, I gave the second volume a try.

End result? Marginally better. Not the slam dunk I was hoping for, but definitely an improvement over the start. The concept of the guy being utterly hapless and the girl being the cool, unflappable one in the relationship is a good one to hang a book like this on and, no mistake, they sell Shikimori as coolness personified.

The relationship between her and Izumi is actually pretty sweet (again, too sweet?) and that really comes through when Shikimori befriends Izumi’s mom (the two make quite the pair and you really see where Izumi gets his luck from).

When mom expresses her hope that Shikimori doesn’t get tired of having to look after Izumi, Shikimori’s answer is a really great moment for our heroine and sets her apart while also hammering home how much she likes him.

Ironically, in an effort to make Shikimori as cool as possible, but also incredibly shy talking about their dating with other people, she approaches something perilously close to nuance. These two are a great pairing that sometimes deserve a better series.

Izumi also has his moments - he clearly wants Shikimori to shine as bright as possible and even when that means she’s being mobbed by new fans, he turns out to have a surprisingly mature plan and attitude to handle things on his own.

Their relatively stable relationship is really the crux of this thing, though it still feels like it’s lacking just a smidgen of something extra that would truly bring it screaming to life, even with the intervention of a kitten and Shikimori really leaning into her pants-wearing role.

Now, the expansion and addition of the friend circle into the mix is definitely a great idea and the sleepover the girls have is going to give somebody diabetes just from reading it, but again, this series has so far felt like it’s constantly trailing just behind true greatness.

If you liked the last one, it’s even better here. If you didn’t, well, this isn’t as repetitive, but I’m still not sure it does anything stellar enough to actually convince you to come back to it.

3 stars - it’s a step forward, however tentative. The real question is whether I feel like I want to invest in a third book and see if it can yet again evolve, hopefully into something I find especially engaging. And that’s a question I don’t have an answer for yet.

[Victor The Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, Vol. 2 (My Kindle Review)

The lively romance of Izumi and Shikimori just gets more enjoyable as his mother really likes her a lot and her becoming a sports star makes her even more popular much to his worry. Other moments include Shikimori finding a funny rival for her boyfriend’s attention, rescuing a stray cat and hanging out with friends. I still wish Izumi could be less clumsy. Page count: 163 p. A (100%/Outstanding)

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

5★, cements this series as one of my absolute favorites.

Thoughts:
* Continues to be soooo cute....I can't even. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
* Loved Shikimori's interactions with Izumi's parents - her impressing his equally clumsy, accident prone mother, and bonding with his stoic, ex-athlete father over video games. She charms them easily with her sincere personality and her touching words about finding Izumi so strong. Then, that end-of-night kiss she gives him on his forehead..? This is totally like a genderbent shojo manga, with Shikimori having absolute 'cool guy' energy, that I am LIVING FOR.
* I especially love how, even when other girls tell her to tone down her athleticism/play up her man's ego, she does the complete opposite. And Izumi is literally the opposite of toxic masculinity - he supports her, encourages her, and even backs off when she gets more popular. Honestly their whole relationship is goals, because even though Shikimori does knock Izumi off his feet often with her coolness, she also gets equally floored when Izumi compliments her or draws attention to her. It's absolutely adorable.
* This volume brings more of the side character friends into focus, and a squad begins to form:
** Inuzuka, who is Izumi's hot-headed and competitive guy friend. He is a great addition and also provides some hilarious comic relief after he saves Izumi from an errant baseball and makes Shikimori a bit jealous (⁀ᗢ⁀)
** Nekozaki, Shikimori's equally athletic girl friend. Their team-up during the volleyball game was epic, followed by a hilarious after-game celebration panel that had me cracking up. Plus, she definitely has an emotional side that came out during girl's night (ಡ‸ಡ)
** Hachimitsu, Shikimori's other girl friend who's more aloof and observant. The girls night they all had was super sweet - yes to healthy female friendships instead of just pitting women against each other as rivals!!
* The kitten...!!! Those scenes were so cute!!
* Planetarium date was just augh my heart.
* I really loved the whole friend group scenes. They clearly care about each other, as evidenced by the decision to plan a trip somewhere everyone could enjoy. I can't wait to read the next volume about their summer adventures!!

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume is def better than the last but not quite a 4 yet. Basically you begin to get introduced to all the friends which turn out to be pretty good characters, especially the guy. I also really dug the mom, she became a instant favorite by the end. I think the main character still a bit too wimpy for the overall tone but getting better.

[Zian B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was still this sense of repetitiveness in the overall story but this volume was still incredibly wholesome. I don’t like the part where Izumi’s mom seemed to have a crush on Shikimori, but everything else was really enjoyable to read.

[Dumb popcorn's manga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigue siendo cute pero parece que ahora va a intentar tener tramas más largas que los capítulos gag de 5 páginas del volumen anterior, así que tengo ganas de ver por dónde irá la trama en el futuro.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapters remain fairly episodic and gag centered. Although the main gag is Izumi's curse of clumsiness, bad luck, and injury, there is more focus too on his relationship with Shikimori. While she can and does feel jealousy if someone else comes to Izumi's rescue, she doesn't go so far as to feel that their relationship is off.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2023/comm...

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume took a slightly different turn then I expected.

I thought the first volume to be very cute (read it two times) and while this one still had that cute element overall, it had more fan servicey panels then I personally cared for. I was really disappointed about that because I think Shikimori and Izumi have a really great relationship and it was fun seeing Izumi trying to protect Shikomori the same way she protects him. (I feel the slight fan service takes away from their actual love story and I LIKE their love story.) I felt he was braver in this volume in sharing how much he cares for her, but found it awkward when at least two different people mentioned that they wished she (Shikimori) was their girlfriend. I guess it wouldn't have been so awkward if one of those people hadn't been Izumi's mom….

However, I really did like how both of them (Shikimori and Izumi) were more open with their feelings! It was cute seeing different parts of Shikimori that we didn't see previously. I was also excited to see more of Izumi's family because that had been one of the things I was most excited to read. Seeing Shikimori interact with his parents. Also, meeting some of their friends was awesome!

All in all, I enjoyed it for the most part. The fan service aspects brought down my overall enjoyment, but I laughed and still had a good time.

[Rereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is pure sugary goodness and I can't get enough! I love seeing Shikimori bonding with Izumi's parents to the point of becoming friends with his mom. Speaking of, she's so damn cute and I love her! Though poor Shikimori has to protect her as well as Izumi, what a rough life she leads...

It was nice getting to to see both Izumi and Shikimori spend time with their friends. I was hopeful that we would see more of the supporting cast soon, but I didn't think it's be this soon! Not that I'm complaining, it was nice getting to see everyone interact with each other and in their own groups.

The artwork/ art style was amazing and again I LOVE the heavy use of shadows, specifically in Shikimori's cool moments. I never thought you could use heavy shadows to portray anything other negative emotions or sentiments, but this series has definitely proven me wrong there. But I also love the cuter, less detailed depictions of Shikimori and Izumi. Gotta love a mangaka that can give you both, thanks Maki!

Not much else to say. I know this review was kind of unfocused, but here's a summary: I love this series, I'm looking forward to more, thank you and have a nice day.

[lara⁷ · Rating 2 out of 5]

it’s better than the last one since it has several comedic moments, but it still feels BORING

[Tachan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Décidément cette comédie romantique shonen est des plus drôle et savoureuse. Je me régale des péripéties d'Izumi toujours sauvé in extremis par sa virile petite amie Shikimori !

En commençant la série, j'avais quelques craintes mais le format court des chapitres ainsi que la narration punchy de Keigo Maki et son ambiance bonne enfant, font très bien le job. J'apprécie vraiment de suivre les aventures de nos héros et encore plus dans ce tome où la famille d'Izumi et leurs amis du lycée viennent s'en mêler. C'est drôle et frais.

Sans aucun chichi l'auteur nous conte ainsi comme évolue la relation d'Izumi et Shiki, ce dernier étant toujours plus mignon mais plus poissard aussi que la fois précédente, obligeant Shiki à casser les codes habituels des couples hétéro en devenant celle qui protègera l'autre, celle qui sera classe. Cette inversion des codes bien plus assumée et concrétisée qu'un Ton visage au clair de Lune me plaît énormément. On a une héroïne qui est et reste féminine, avec tout ce qu'on met derrière, mais qui a du caractère, est compétitrice, a le coeur sur la main et est très courageuse. J'aime la voir chercher à lui faire plaisir en donnant tout et non en cachant ce dont elle est capable. J'aime la voir se lier et s'amuser librement, sans chichi, avec les parents d'Izumi. C'est vraiment une belle morale et ça fait bien plus de bien à l'image de la femme que nombre de série du genre qui se veulent progressistes mais ne le sont pas. Ici, on ne cherche pas à nous vendre des vessies pour des lanternes. On conserve une image assez ancienne de la place de la femme : soutien de l'homme, mais il y a aussi cette modernité dont je parlais.

On enchaîne ainsi les situations avec tendresse et humour, et l'ajout de personnages est un vrai plus ici. Les parents d'Izumi sont hyper sympathiques, notamment sa mère avec qui Shiki va bien sympathiser. Ce sont des parents ouverts qui n'ont jamais cherché à trop protéger leur enfant même s'ils savent combien il s'attire des ennuis à chaque instant. J'ai aussi aimé la présence grandissante des amis, qui vient casser un peu la bulle du petit couple. C'est bienvenu pour avoir un regard extérieur mais également pour apporter de nouveau scénario plus riche que juste à deux. On a ainsi droit à une soirée entre fille, à des discussions sur le toit, à une journée sportive ou à l'organisation d'une sortie estivale. C'est vraiment sympathique.

Sans chichi, Shiki et Izumi continuent de me convaincre par leur histoire toute mimi contée avec humour où l'inversion des rôles et non des genres est très bien jouée pour apporter une touche de modernité à une romance sinon somme toute assez classique. C'est drôle, frais, punchy et ce tome développement joliment le décor avec ses nouveaux personnages. Je passe un très bon moment avec.

Article complet : https://www.sanctuary.fr/avis/148983/

[Enairolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Après ma lecture du premier tome, j’ai de suite enchaîné avec le second tome. Autant dans le premier je regrettais le principe de pleins de petites histoires, autant maintenant je m’y suis fais et c’est très plaisant à lire. On a tout de même un fil conducteur dans le fond donc ce n’est pas non plus une mauvaise chose. J’ai autant apprécier ce second tome que le premier. C’est vraiment une belle découverte et j’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à découvrir Izumi et Shikimori! Et je dois avouer que je suis impatiente de découvrir la suite de leurs aventures maintenant!

On retrouve donc nos deux amoureux durant leur quotidien. Izumi est toujours aussi malchanceux et heureusement que Shikimori est là pour le sauver à chaque fois! Que ce soit en cours de sport, après les cours, au planétarium ou encore au printemps, leur amour ne cesse de s’épanouir! Et pour Izumi, sa petite amie est toujours aussi classe quoi qu’elle fasse!

La relation entre Izumi et Shikimori est toujours aussi adorable. On voit bien qu’entre ces deux là un amour fort les unit. Ils sont vraiment beaucoup trop adorables ensemble. Je suis toujours aussi choquée de la malchance d’Izumi, non mais franchement ce n’est pas possible d’avoir autant la poisse si? Parce que sincèrement je n’aimerais pas être à sa place le moins du monde, ça c’est un coup à ne jamais sortir de chez soi par peur haha. Shikimori est vraiment classe quand elle s’y met mais elle me fait surtout beaucoup rire!

C’est vraiment un manga sans prise de tête comme je les aime. C’est rapide à lire, l’histoire est adorable et toute mignonne. J’ai beaucoup apprécié le découpage des chapitres dans ce second tome! Dans le premier je trouvais que les chapitres étaient vraiment très très courts alors qu’ici je les ai trouvés plus longs et c’est tout de même plus agréable à la lecture. En tout cas, j’attends avec impatience le troisième tome pour suivre encore les aventures ou mésaventures de ce petit couple tout mignon!

[Albert Sr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

(English copy from my Instagram @agamundisr_escritor / @leyendoconalice)

Today I bring you the review of the second volume of "Shikimori is more than just a pretty face." That said, let's get started:

💕This volume begins with an introduction to Izumi's history of misfortunes since his childhood, through his mother, where it is revealed that his supernatural bad luck has accustomed him to the harm and pain of incidents.

Upon listening to the narration, the lady reaffirms to her interlocutor the love she feels for her son and her desire to protect him at all costs.

💕In the central chapters, the action takes us to the second year of high school, where the pink-haired girl stands out for her great talent in volleyball and baseball, thus earning the admiration of her classmates.

On the other hand, we find other school scenarios that put the boy at risk and beautify the figure of the girl.

In the last comic of the block, Shikimori takes in a cat. After falling in love on a rainy day after returning from school, the boyfriend's bad luck leaves her soaked while trying to protect him.

As a result, the couple find themselves in a classic first kiss situation with hints of eroticism, once she has changed into a male outfit. However, Izumi's mother interrupts the scene with her arrival.

💕In the last three chapters, we enjoy an uneventful adventure in a constellation-watching activity at a planetarium, which gives us cotton candy moments; a girls' night in which Shikimori participates with her friends and, finally, the preparations for a beach trip.

🌸Conclusion: This second volume consolidates the logic of this manga, where the main plot focuses on a romance marked by the systematic incidents of the heartthrob.

One of the strong points is the revelation and expansion of the background of the main couple.

Rating: 5🌸

[Juan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Empecé con la Viendo la adaptación de TV de esta serie, y me llamo la atención revisar el contenido original, desgraciadamente tuve que empezar por el segundo volumen, ya que me fue imposible conseguir el primer volumen (En físico).

A pesar de no haber leído el primer tomo siento que no me perdí de mucha historia, ya que en el momento que la retome fue después de ver 2 o 3 capítulos de la serie animada, y empezando este tomo tenía una idea general de lo que estaba pasando. Aún así me encuentro con el problema que intenta replicar "Fly me to the moon" donde te muestra pequeñas situaciones en donde casi siempre termina con un Cuadro que abarca 1/2 de la hoja de una pose o frase de uno de los protagonistas (Vertical o Horizontal) pero, no me quejo el arte de estos cuadros son más detallados y geniales.

Según la sinopsis en la parte de atrás es para gente que le gusto Don't Toy with me Nagatoro-san y Komi-san Can't Communicate. De Komi no he encontrado mucho, Pero de Nagatoro si existe mucho ya que ambos personajes se molestas y hacen que se acelere el corazón del otro muy seguido.

[Joe Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Shikimori is one cool cat!

She DEFINITELY wears the pants in the relationship, but Izumi doesn't seem to care (or even notice for that matter). She is very protective of her man, and isn't afraid of pda's, kisses, or hugging Izumi in public. She also the one in charge of the romance, as she adeptly shows by grabbing Izumi, throwing him on the couch, pouncing on him, and kissing him. She seemed like a woman possessed, so who knows how far she would have taken things, if it wasn't for Izumi's mother (also a total cool cutie) walking in on them. Now, Shikimori is forming a friendship with Izumi's Mother. They decide to attend a cooking class together. What new adventures and jinxes will come the way of Shikimori and Izumi, not to mention his folks? Well, we'll know as soon as volume 3 drops! And as the monkey said when his tail got caught in the meat grinder: "Well, it won't be long now!"

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second volume and I did enjoy it, but also thought it was a bit more of the same. Yu having the most worst luck, Shikimori saving him or doing something cool. I just miss a bit of a growth between the two, seeing them really be a couple. I mean, they have been together for a year+ now and I just don't always see them as a couple, but more as a brother constantly saved by his sister. I would just like some intimacy. Some hugs, some more handholding, some kissing, some romance. Some chemistry.
But I did like that Shikimori got closer to Yu's mom, even going to classes with her. And I liked that she was even bonding with dad (who really got the short end of the stick in regards to aging as he looks like a grandpa).
I loved seeing the friends get together and have fun moments. I laughed when Shikimori got way too cool and gained a fanclub. I loved the art. The cool moments. A sleepover with the girls. Summer is coming.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Volume 2 is an improvement over the first. It doesn't feel quite as disjointed and one dimensional. I do wish there was more going on with the plot though.

I volume 2 we have a sports festival, we find a little black kitten that's going to be living with Izumi, and we have the beginning of summer break. There's a few other little vignettes as well.

The art is still great, I really enjoy the characters particularly Shikimori. I hope the plot get's a little more depth but it's still enjoyable. Also a little bummed that the volume is only 160 quick pages. Not a lot of bang for your buck there.

Shikimori once again being cool on the cover of volume 2.

Read 1/26/2023

[Katza Verduzco · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este segundo tomo el ritmo de los capítulos se normaliza, pero es cierto que cada uno de ellos esta diseñado para sacarte un suspiro, una sonrisa y mucha miel. Toda gira en torno a la relación entre shikimori e izumi así como la relación que tienen con sus amigos.
Es una historia bastante sana mi personaje favorito es shuinusuka me gusta tanto su apariencia como su personalidad divertida y dedicada a los estudios me siento muy identificada con este personaje.

El capitulo 22 fue mi favorito en su totalidad, me encanto, encuentran a un gatito callejero que Izumi termina adoptando y me causo una sensación muy calidad cuando leí todo el capítulo.

[Jaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐'𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐𝘻𝘶𝘮𝘪-𝘴𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘰 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴... 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴?"

simple yet cute and fluffy romance comedy manga series in which Fdom is a must. it isn't your typical shoujo manga. it is a heartwarming love story which contains simple and nature of love between two characters and no complex drama. i haven't read up until the latest chapter, since my brother and i haven't bought the remaining books. all in all, it's a pretty good palate cleanser after a heavy story.

[❄ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very happy that I finally got a physical copy of this one in my hands! I had watched the anime previously and I still miss them :(. Shikimori and Izumi are fun to follow, sometimes a slice of life is all I need. I can't get enough of them, I never get tired of the dynamic between cool/straightforward girl and cute/shy boy, give me more MF couples like this one.

[Sara I · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this series a lot! In this volume readers get introduced more to the friends and family of the main couple, Izumi and Shikimori. I'm finding it a mostly wholesome read (less wholesome in the moment Shikimori's not cute, she's pretty cool)!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this volume more than the first one. This one was so cute and funny! The cat was a great addition to the series. I love how Shikimori is always taking care of Izumi and Izumi‘s doing the same too. They really like each other! Let’s see how the river adventure goes

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s nothing special, but a pleasant read. A weird looking kitten appears, and she meets the parents and ends up friends with his mom…who is pretty clumsy too. This volume is like a “everyone has a crush on her, male or female.”

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 2 out of 5]

2021 Read #52

Meh. There are cute moments in this series, but I don’t think I’ll continue since there’s nothing really substantial for me to come back and read more.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75

[Sheepy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the short chapters in this series, it works really nicely.
Shikimori is a great character and I can't help but loving every interaction she has with Izumi.

[Rolaka Pisarka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miło się czyta!

[prollybusyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

it got so much better from the first book. i can't wait for their character growth.